But that shouldn't be the case this spring. Look for a high jumper and a strong supporting cast to reverse the trend and help the county return to a higher standard.

1. Sizzling Cyre

Two winter weekends have changed a Fleetwood high jumper's life and the face of the 2013 Berks girls track season.

Last spring, Cyre (pronounced Sir-RAY) Virgo was a freshman carrying sky-high potential on her 5-11 frame and seemingly endless legs.

In her first few weeks, she certainly didn't disappoint.

Virgo quickly cleared 5-6, a state-caliber height. After going 5-5 at the Stephan and Shaner meets, she seemed primed for postseason wins.

But leaps of 5-3 for a silver medal at the county-championship Firing Meet and a sixth-place 5-2 at the District 3 championships fell short of expectations.

"I think she started to feel a little bit of pressure and just wasn't used to that level of competition," said Tigers coach Jess Cammauf.

Now back to this winter.

Virgo played basketball for Fleetwood- she averaged 10.1 points and was named to the all-division team in Berks II - and participated in one indoor track meet to qualify for the state championships Feb. 23.

She went 5-9 in that indoor meet at Albright, a personal best by nearly 3 inches.

"We couldn't believe it," Cammauf said.

Because the Tigers lost a district basketball opener to Berks Catholic, Virgo was available for the state meet.

She jumped 5-10 and won by 4 inches.

"That was amazing," Cammauf said. "There were coaches who texted me right away and said they never saw a female jump that high before."

Virgo soared even higher two weeks later to win the New Balance Indoor Nationals title at New York City.

Her leap of 5-11.25 beat the defending champ by 2 inches.

One can imagine the buzz at Fleetwood.

"She's been so level-headed even though it's happened so quickly," Cammauf said. "She's enjoyed every new peak. We're not going crazy. We're just taking it one step at a time and enjoying the moment."

So what does Virgo's emergence mean for the spring?

The county's oldest active girls record could tumble (Twin Valley's Sonya Sims set the mark of 5-9 in 1978.).

And, suddenly, we have the opportunity to enjoy a national-caliber athlete.

2. Final run

While Fleetwood's Cyre Virgo is a fresh face on local track scene, the seasoned Tessa Mundell will take her final romps as one of the most accomplished runners in Gov. Mifflin history, a label that is especially impressive considering her school's accomplishments in distance running.

"It definitely feels weird," the James Madison-bound Mundell said of nearing the end. "It's weird to think after this season I'll never wear a Mifflin uniform again."

With three Berks Conference cross country wins and four county titles in track, Mundell has seemingly little left to achieve in high school.

But Mundell isn't the type to flounder for direction.

"I have lots of goals," she said.

She achieved her loftiest one last year, when she cracked the five-minute barrier in the 1600.

Mundell ran 4:59.46 for a District 3-AAA bronze and responded with a 4:59.16 during the PIAA prelims. She went 5:07.02 in the state final, finishing 11th.

She was ninth as a sophomore, missing a medal by one place.

"I just want to improve off that," Mundell said. "I would love to make it to states again and get a state medal. I've always wanted a state medal in track. I've gotten close and hopefully this is the year."

3. Dantzler's last dance

Wilson's Skylar Dantzler is another Berks track standout who has been winning since her freshman year.

The senior extended her county dominance to a new level last spring, when she won an astounding four individual events at the Firing Meet with her third consecutive long jump title, her second straight 100 title and her first county-championship wins in the 200 and 400.

While last year was Dantzler's first running the longest sprint, look for Wilson coach Doug Dahms to tweak her schedule again this year.

"She's the top 100 and 200 person coming back," he said. "The question is what we'll do with her in the fourth event.

"She started triple jumping this winter. She's not bad for just having started. The question is whether we use her in the relay or in four individual events. It depends on how she progresses and how the rest of the county looks."

Dantzler also will try to improve her district performances. She's never finished higher than fifth in a District 3-AAA event.

"She's certainly capable of 18½ or pushing 19," Dahms said of Dantzler's long jump. "But there's technique involved, and she's not quite picking it up."

Dahms said her 200 could improve, too.

"She has the foot speed to do it," he said, "I think she thinks she has to pace herself, but it's not a pace race."

4. Helping Heistand

Hamburg's Karlie Heistand, the only Berks girl to earn a PIAA medal last year with a fifth in the Class AA 1600, returns to make the distance events arguably the county's most competitive this spring.

Heistand, a junior whose personal best is a swift 5:04.59 set during last year's Firing Meet, should push Gov. Mifflin's Tessa Mundell again.

All the while, Heistand, an All-State field hockey player who already has committed to the University of Connecticut, will continue to answer coach Phil Kistler's every call.

"She'll do whatever events we ask her to do," Kistler said. "Whether it's run a leg in the 400 relay, run a leg in the 3200 relay or anything in between.

"She has an upbeat personality, and she's willing to do whatever she can to help the team."

Earning a third straight state medal will be especially difficult for Heistand, who finished seventh in the 1600 as a freshman. The Hawks move from Class AA to Class AAA.

5. Around the track

Wilson discus hurler Jessie Wallace returns as the county's top thrower. While competing for Muhlenberg last year, she won the Berks discus title, took District 3-AAA silver and placed ninth at states. Oley Valley's Sarah Kane (shot put) and Muhlenberg's Nicole Shuman (javelin) are defending county champs, too. Daniel Boone's Alex Santora (300 hurdles, triple jump) returns as a double winner at counties last year. Look for Hamburg's Kali Hepner (District 3-AA silver) and Schuylkill Valley's Bre Manzolillo (District 3-AA bronze) to challenge the county's pole vault record (12-0). Wilson's Emily Miller is back in the high jump. She just missed a state medal last year, finishing ninth in Class AAA.